The band’s second album hears the fun-loving five-piece joining forces with producer Lorrie Matheson, while Can-rock mainstay and Cowboy Junkie Ian Blurton also hopped on the record for some guest vocals. Caitlin Dacey, Kenna Burima and Chris Nevile also get guest credits.

The Core Competencies was originally conceived as a rock opera about Axl Rose and Paul Westerburg from the perspective of the Replacements’ Tommy Stinson, but that idea was ultimately scrapped for a collection of tunes that better captures Napalmpom’s essence — a set of “joyous, guitar-heavy, unashamed pop anthems about light subjects like love and death and living up to expectations with integrity.”

Two of those tracks can be heard right now, as Exclaim! is giving you the exclusive first listen to “Stop the Presses” and “Show Me What You Make.” Scroll past the full tracklisting for The Core Competencies of Napalmpom and the band’s upcoming shows to give both new tunes a listen below.

The Core Competencies of Napalmpom:

1. Get Love
2. Stop The Presses
3. Show Me What You Make
4. Watch It Burn (Slight Return)
5. Ghost Bike
6. Bridges In The Sun
7. On Her Own Wings
8. Last Legs
9. Miss You Miss
10. Shots In The Dark
11. Pretty Great Machine